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Easy Steak and Rice (One-Skillet Tex-Mex Dinner)
This Easy Steak and Rice recipe is a one-skillet Tex-Mex dinner with fajita-seasoned sirloin, tomato-tinted Mexican rice, and a warm white queso drizzle on top. Ready in 45 minutes, this Steak and Queso Rice skillet feeds four and delivers restaurant-style flavor at home.
Servings 4
Calories 553kcal
Ingredients
For the Steak
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound sirloin steak sliced thin against the grain
- 1 tablespoon fajita seasoning or 1 packet, about 1 ounce
For the Rice
- ½ small yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup long-grain white rice uncooked, or basmati rice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Serving
- 1 cup jarred white queso dip warmed (such as Pancho's or Tostitos)
- fresh pico de gallo chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or sour cream (optional toppings)
Instructions
- Season the steak. Toss the sliced sirloin strips with the fajita seasoning in a medium bowl until the meat is evenly coated. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or 10-inch cast iron pan over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers.
- Sear the steak. Add the seasoned steak to the skillet in a single layer. Sear, turning once, until browned on the outside and cooked to your preferred doneness, about 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the steak to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Keep the burner on.
- Build the rice base. Add the diced onion to the same skillet and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Simmer the rice. Pour in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, uncooked rice, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Return the steak. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Return the steak and any resting juices to the skillet and stir gently to combine.
- Drizzle and serve. Warm the white queso dip in the microwave for 30 seconds. Drizzle the warm queso generously over individual servings of Steak and Rice and top with pico de gallo, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or sour cream if desired.
Notes
For the most tender Steak and Rice, slice the sirloin against the grain into thin, ¼-inch strips. Look at the lines running through the meat, then cut at a 90-degree angle to them.
- Lower-cost cuts like flank steak, skirt steak, or chuck steak strips all work in place of sirloin and run 30 to 40 percent cheaper per pound.
"White queso" in this recipe means jarred white queso dip (the pourable kind from the chip aisle), not queso blanco cheese (the unmelted block kind). Pancho's, Tostitos, and Herdez all work.
- Warm the queso separately and drizzle over individual plates rather than stirring it into the skillet, which can cause the cheese to seize and turn sticky.
- Diced yellow onion and fresh garlic are not shown in the ingredient image.
Nutrition
Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1604mg | Potassium: 811mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 336IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 5mg